According to Het Laatste Nieuws, king Albert has recently made a financial donation to a little Italian church. It was the second donation to this church on the isle Salina that's being restaured.

In 2004 the king celebrated his 70th birthday on the island with a private party for 50 guests. For that occasion the king donated a new floor to the church (180 square metres of handmade ceramic tiles).

In January when Albert was recovering from his hip surgery, Albert and Paola were back on Salina. This time he offered 4 chandeliers.

The Queen looks elegant but a bit too low-key for my taste. A hat would have been nice, and a skirt too. But good to see the Queen again. The Netherlands was represented by secretary of state, Jack de Vries (defence).

The Flemish newspaper Standard has an article about the event: look here.

On the television news you heard Paola tell the artists that it was fantastic. Jan Fabre was very positive about the Queen, he told treporters that Paola was really interested and exited about art, and that it wasn't just a form of protocol.
The Queen was escorted by the Flemish and French minister of Culture.

Quote:

Thu 10/04/08 - On Wednesday Queen Paola attended the opening of a new exhibition of the work of the Flemish artist Jan Fabre in the Paris Louvre. The Flemish Culture Minister Vic Anciaux (Spirit regionalist) and his French counterpart Christine Albanel were also there.

Jan Fabre guided the party round and showed them how his work is being contrasted with old Flemish and Netherlandish masters.

I know we were discussing this in the thread regarding Princess Eleonore's arrival, but wondering if the Queen has recovered from her illness?
We haven't seen her in quite a while! I hope she is well and has had a chance to meet her new granddaughter.

Queen Paola visited Lugo di Ravenna in Italy on May 7th. She visited the places where Francesco Baracca had lived. Mr. Baracca was the commandor of Paola's father during WWI, who served in the Italian airforce.

ROYALS KING BAUDOUIN FOUNDATION BRUSSELS, BELGIUM:
Newly appointed King Baudouin Foundation member of the board, Peter Baron Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, Queen Fabiola and King Albert II of Belgium, pictured during a lunch offered by the King and Queen, to the directors of the board of the Koning Boudewijnstichting - Foundation Roi Baudouin - King Baudouin Foundation, at the Royal Castle in Laken/Laeken, Monday 19 May 2008.